Recipients are awarded an average of $2,000 in grants and scholarships that help cover costs such as medical and living expenses, certain types of tuition, and family-building expenses.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, 17-35 years old, and have completed active treatment. The application deadline is Monday, July 12.

To apply for a 2010 SAMFund grant, visit www.thesamfund.org. 

CancerCare offers specialized, free services for young adult patients, caregivers, loved ones, and survivors including counseling, financial assistance, support groups, and publications.

Week-long programs are offered in Utah, Colorado, Montana and Washington, free of charge to all participants. It is not required of participants to have any previous rafting or climbing experience, and all equipment is provided by First Descents. Medical providers are always available on-site at each program to ensure a safe experience for each individual.

First Descents Participants Kayaking in Idaho

Those accepted to the program must cover the cost of travel, although limited scholarships covering transportation are available. First Descents is still accepting applications for climbing programs in September; click here to apply.  All that is required to apply is a general application form, and a physical exam form filed out by you physician.

“Young adults who have cancer are often underserved by support offerings that address concerns specific to their age,” notes CancerCare Men’s Cancer Project Coordinator Wade Iwata, LMSW.  “First Descents is really a unique and worthwhile experience that keeps young adults coming back to the program year after year.”

For more information about First Descents, and to learn how you can become a volunteer or host a fundraiser, please visit the organization’s website. 

Learn more about CancerCare’s free, professional support services for young adults affected by cancer.

Today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal explores the risks and benefits of both sun-lovers and shade-seekers.  On the plus side, the sun’s UV rays stimulate endorphins that can boost your mood and reduce pain.  Unfortunately, exposure to UV rays also causes up to 95% of melanoma diagnoses.

With summer approaching, it’s important to know how to prevent and detect melanoma, the most serious of skin cancers.  Risk factors include:

• A history of blistering sunburns
• Light hair and eyes
• A large number of freckles and/or moles
• Family history of melanoma

 You can decrease your risk by:

•  Avoiding tanning beds
• Wearing sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher
• Seeking shade during the sun’s peak hours of 10am-4pm
• Covering your body when exposed to the sun’s rays

You can still enjoy outdoor activities in the sunshine, just remember to take precautions and enjoy the sun in moderation.

Two new CancerCare fact sheets about melanoma, made possible through an educational grant from Teb’s Troops, will be available soon.  Find Teb’s Troops on Facebook to learn more about its Fourth Annual March on Melanoma 5K race, to be held July 25  in Chicago. 

CancerCare’s melanoma resources include The Melanoma Helpline. Launched in partnership with The Melanoma Research Foundation, the helpline is staffed by professional oncology social workers who provide free telephone counseling and information about coping with melanoma. Call 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460).

Read The Wall Street Journal article here.

CancerCare offers counseling, support groups, community programs, publications and financial assistance all free of charge to anyone affected by melanoma.

The article, written by CancerCare Director of Corporate Relations Christina Wyman, details the event’s history, which began in New York City in 2004.  What was initially just 12 local bakeries donating the proceeds from selling cupcakes adorned with the CancerCare logo has now evolved into a national campaign, with over 365 bakeries participating in 2009.

CancerCare for Kids was created to address the special needs and concerns of children and adolescents who are coping with cancer. CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers help families navigate the often complex issues they face when coping with a cancer diagnosis though age-appropriate counseling, therapeutic recreational activities, educational materials, and financial assistance.

Here are just a few ways that you can help support Cupcakes for a Cause:

• Download a bake sale kit and host your own bake sale, and donate the proceeds to CancerCare for Kids
• Create virtual e-Cupcakes and sending them to friends and family. Last year, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM® donated $1 per e-Cupcake for the first 5,000 sent.
• Purchase Cupcakes in Bloom, non-edible cupcakes provided by 1-800-FLOWERS. Last September, 10% of net proceeds from the sales of these cupcake-shaped floral arrangements went to support our CancerCare for Kids program.

The Huff Post’s Tammy Tibbetts also writes about the cupcakes for charity trend and mentions CancerCare’s campaign. Read Tammy’s article.

The 2010 Cupcakes for a Cause Week will take place September 20-26, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please visit our Cupcakes for a Cause website for more information. To learn more about our specialized services for children and families facing cancer, visit CancerCare for Kids or call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).

The critically-acclaimed memoir traces Johnny’s journey from his unassuming adolescence through the struggle of his life, and ultimately examines the power of optimism, humor and hope. Hotpants: A Memoir is available for purchase through Amazon, and we encourage you to visit Johnny’s website and view his demo reel here.

To learn about the latest in brain tumor research, please register for our upcoming Connect Education Workshop Brain Tumors: Current Treatments and Hope for the Future.

Learn more about CancerCare’s free, professional support services for people with brain cancer and their loved ones.

WHEN:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
(Yoga begins promptly at 6:00 pm)
Bring your own bath or beach towel

PROGRAM:
Vanessa Watson, RYT
Yoga Instructor, Laughing Lotus
Yoga ~ 6:00-6:45 pm

Julie Larson, LCSW
Program Director, CancerCare Young Adult Program
Reflective Discussion ~ 6:45-7:00 pm

Paisley Stowe
Creativity Counseling, Holistic Wellness & Skin Care Counseling, Licensed Esthetician & Reiki Practitioner
Creative Arts ~ 7:00-8:00 pm

LOCATION:
CancerCare Main Office
275 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor
(Between 25th & 26th Streets)

This program is free, but space is limited and reservations are required! 

To RSVP:
Melissa Snyder – msnyder@youngsurvival.org or (646) 257-3025
OR
Julie Larson – jlarson@cancercare.org or (212) 712-6173

Door admission is $20. To order your tickets, call 718-204-7412 or visit www.DreamOn.eventbrite.com

Event Lineup
6:30 – 8:00 pm:  Pre-show acoustic karaoke and raffles. Open bar and food (for V.I.P. Pass holders only).
8:00 – 11:00 pm:  Live band karaoke*
11:00 – Midnight:  Post-show acoustic karaoke party bliss

*There are a limited number of song slots during this event. To guarantee a song slot, please reserve a V.I.P. Entourage Pass, or arrive early the day of the event. To check out the song menu, visit www.crashcoursekaraoke.com.

 At Studio 9G in the West Chelsea Arts Building
Wednesday, September 30^th and Thursday, October 1^st
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Words alone cannot begin to explain how disconnected young adults with cancer often feel from so-called “normal” life.  During the annual 12-week Visual Diaries workshop held at the Creative Center and CancerCare in 2008 and 2009, participants came together to learn about photography and share their personal cancer stories.  On display at Studio 9G in the West Chelsea Arts Building, this collection of images and video installations illustrates the wide spectrum of experiences and emotions felt by these photographers and their peers through diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.

This gallery exhibition benefits the Young Adult Program at CancerCare.  Purchase tickets now.

For more information, contact Bertie Downs, Special Events Coordinator, at 212-712-8337 or bdowns@cancercare.org

Teens and young adults diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma are living longer lives, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute that shows improvements in 5- and 10-year survival rates. This is welcome news. Yet, many young people living with cancer continue to face issues that are different from older people, such as whether or when to go back to school, pursue a career, start a relationship or have children.

These are among the concerns the oncology social workers in our Young Adult Program at CancerCare address on a daily basis. Our professional staff provides free counseling, support groups, education, financial assistance and workshops especially tailored to the issues young adults with cancer face.

You can help support our services for young adults. If you live in or are visiting the New York City area in September or October, please join us at these special events:

September 30 – October 1 
Visual Diaries: A Snapshot of the Young Adult Cancer Experience, an exhibit and artists’ reception featuring  personal, “day in the life” photographs compiled by young adults living with cancer; at the West Chelsea Arts Building in Manhattan. In partnership with The Creative Center.

October 19th
Dream On, an evening of live-band karaoke where you can show off your pipes and belt one out for a cause; at The Red Lion, Manhattan.

Purchase your tickets today! Need more information? Email Julie Larson, LCSW, Director of CancerCare’s Young Adult Program.